SPLOOSH TUESDAY (Issue 2)

Oh my stars, everything is bananas! My desktop is a mess, my inbox is overflowing, my brain is scattered.

But you know what?

IT'S SPLOOSH TUESDAY!

Punyus (that got me splooshin' in Issue1) has finally opened it's online store!! Here's my wishlist of the stuff they have available so far:

1. Red suspender shorts!  2. Sweet shirt that I would ALMOST wear pink for. More importantly - WIG!  (tragically, not for sale)  3. Purple Punyus cat tote! 4. Punyus bling. I would work that, so hard. 5. Fried egg skirt. Seriously. I need this.

This week there have been a few ripples in the Fat Acceptance Movement. I'm a little late to the party, but basically the cat was thrown amongst the pigeons by an infuriatingly uninformed article on thoughtcatalogue, written by an ignorant “normal sized person” (her term) -_-

It's called “6 Things I Don't Understand About the Fat Acceptance Movement”.

So why the heck is it on my Sploosh list?!

It's not – but the reply article written by the one and only Jes Baker of The Militant Baker is. I won't bother linking you to the original since Jes has the complete article within hers. As always, she is passionate, intelligent and eloquent. She disarms with charm, and fights fire with facts. She is a SUPERHERO.

This is Jes.

This is the article:

6 THINGS THAT I UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE FAT ACCEPTANCE MOVEMENT

Jeez after all the reading, you deserve some visual rewards.

Here, have a CAT COUCH. Not a couch for cats. That's this.

Source

But a couch that IS a cat! OHMYGLOB!

Source

While we're on the topic of cats:

Watch out Gomez, winter is coming!!

Source - of which there are HEAPS of other awesome cats in tights

What can possibly top this cat-aclysm?!

THIS GUY'S BEARD

Source

And it also does this:

Source as above

Lastly, if you read my Bluesfest post, you'll know that i'm ALL about C.W. Stoneking right now (and for the rest of forever, probs). You should listen to this song if you like old-timey blues, sung by a young, white, Aussie.

Byron Bay Bluesfest 2014

I'm back, i'm back! What an amazing week of music, and weekend of non-denominational chocolate eggs. I've been at the Byron Bay Bluesfest, and i've come back so inspired and brimming with ideas and excitement for the future.

I volunteered, so I was there for the full festival, but I was lucky enough to score a spot as a team leader (which means slightly less work, but heaps of perks) so I camped for 7 days while we did a bunch of team-building activities like snorkelling out at Julian Rocks, and an afternoon of Circus Arts! I totally screamed on the flying trapeze. Whatevs, i'm still tough.

Also, this was the first Bluesfest in about a bajillion years that it hasn't rained (not even a drop!). The weather was PERFECT, and the week was an all 'round winner.

Below are my top picks for the week (in no particular order). If you were there, I want to know about your experiences! What did you see? Do you agree with my picks? Will you be going again?

THE HORROR KITSCH BITCH BYRON BAY BLUESFEST HOT LIST

Buddy Guy

Photo courtesy of here

What the heck can I say about Buddy Guy? He's Buddy-flipping-Guy! He's got teeth made of pearls, and the filthiest mouth of a man his age. Boy can he tell a story, and play a damn guitar. Honourable mention also guys to Marty Sammon, his keys player, who is an absolute BOSS.

Erykah Badu

Photo courtesy of here

A friend got me into the "Queen of Neo-Soul" a while back, and I was so excited to see her. She was having some sound/tech issues on the night, and at first I was a little put off by her seemingly diva-ish behaviour. But after a couple of songs I was all like “Oh shiiiiiiit. Dayum gurl, you do as you please, you are THE QUEEN”. This woman OOZES extreme talent. She didn't get up on stage and “sing her songs”. Instead, she demanded we enter the mouth of the living, breathing organism that is her music. I know that sounds a bit wanky, but seriously. Mind. BLOWN.

Beth Hart

Photo courtesy of here

Argh her voice! She is everything! I'm pretty sure if Etta were still kickin', she'd totally approve of Beth Hart. This woman made me be like “I am going home to do vocal exercises every. damn. day, because I would kill to have 1/100^th of what she's got!

The Beards

Photo courtesy of here

If you know me at all, you know i've got a beard fetish. So not only do these guys all have beards, and sing songs about beards, but they are all really talented musicians. WINNING.

Larry Graham (& Graham Central Station)

Photo courtesy of here

I have two words, and two words alone... FUNK. BASS.

Clairy Browne & the Bangin' Rackettes

Photo courtesy of here

An AWESOMELY fun 9-piece soul/R&B group from Melbourne, helmed by Clairy Browne, and supported by an amazing band, and 3 totally bangin' babes with killer backing pipes, and the most contagious 60's choreography. Not to mention the costumes. THE COSTUMES! * drools *

C.W. Stoneking

Photo courtesy of here

I know I said “no particular order”, but I totes saved the best for last. This guy. THIS. GUY. It's hard to put into words what I feel about this guy. But i'll try.

Quite simply, he makes my heart homesick for an era i've never lived in. He has the most genuine and authentic stage presence, an incredibly unique (in this day and age) sound, insane songwriting skills, and is about the best raconteur i've ever experienced.

I only took ONE photo of an artist, the whole week. And it was of him. I snuck sidestage to watch his first set, and I felt so honoured and happy in that moment that I cried. Lame. But I don't even care!

Photo courtesy of MY INSTAGRAM!

Brags, and a Fatkini, and Bye-Bye for Two Weeks!

Sadly, this might be my last blog post for a couple of weeks. I'm going back to visit my mum and to go to the Byron Bay Bluesfest (!!), and I have to tether internet through my phone and it's usually pretty crappy reception in the hills. Boooooo. I will miss my little blog-a-log! But on the plus side, (I totally just wrote plus size – ha! freudian slip), I will have sooooo many exciting things to share when I get back. AND, i'm sure i'll still be Instagramming like a fiend, so if we're not IG pals – let's make it happen! I'm HERE.

Firstly, I just wanted to brag (modestly, of course) about two things.

First one is: I just ordered some stuff from Candy Strike!! I'm very naughty, but I just CANNOT help myself. Mwa ha haaaaa.

Second one is: I am one of the Nearsighted Owl's Fat Babes! And I couldn't be more stoked with how I (we) turned out. Gomez is particularly chuffed that he got a look in, and that, in this case, the 'camera' LOST 5 pounds! What a svelte little boy :)

Fat Babify yourself HERE!

The last thing I wanted to share is something i've been meaning to for a while, but just haven't gotten around to it yet. Tomorrow, I will be on the beach in my fatkini, and it will be my second holiday back home in which I get a chance to wear it. The last one was over the Christmas/Summer break, and a photographer friend asked if i'd like to do a shoot in it. And that was FRICKEN scary. So I said yes. And here they are.

Please note, although some of the colours and contrast have been altered, these photos have in no other way been modified. All stretch marks, cellulite, flabs and rolls are exactly as they are in real life.

Bikini is by Gabi Fresh. I adore it <3

Photos by the one and only Tree Faerie.

The experience itself was all the things I expected it to be; exciting, scary, liberating, exposing. But to really top it all off, Eve (Tree Faerie) has been making a website called thetriggerwarning.com in which she interviews people about their real life experiences. So after the photo session, she asked if she could do a video interview with me. WELL, that was the scary part. The first time i've ever had to talk about all this body postivity stuff, at length, with conviction, and WITHOUT being drunk! Sheesh. Here's the video. You can see my nerves. Eve did a beautiful job, and I can't thank her enough for the experience.

Have an amazing couple of weeks, friends! xx

A Quaint Little English Pattern Clash (Aussie Curves)

POP! KAPOW! BAM! PATTERN CLASH!

I have to admit, I was kind of nervous about this challenge. Mostly because I don't really own a lot of seperates – i'm a dress girl – and I couldn't foresee a way to make this work. This morning when I was getting dressed, there was a growing mound of clothes piling up on my bed. I thought about just skipping out on this week's challenge, but then something ticked over in my 7am brain, and pulled this little number together! And you know what? I like it. I don't love it, but I like it. And I enjoyed the challenge.

Today was a drizzly, grizzly, deliciously gloomy old day in Melbourne, so Sam and I decided to have a quaint little picnic in a shopping arcade the english countryside. 

We found a ye olde house, and snuck into their library to peruse the bookshelves. 

 There were simply too many books to choose from!

Dress: thrifted (label says "Feathers")

Jacket: Chic Star

Boots: any crappy quality Converse rip off

As you can see, I ended up making it “work” (if you can call it that) by focusing on a monochromatic outfit, with red accents in my shoes, earrings, and lapel owls (yes, earrings again).

I got this dress from Savers over a year ago, and I've really only just started wearing it because * gasp * it's white! Also, when I bought it I thought it sat really weird on me, but I was just SO in love with the print that I had to have it. I figured i'd use the material for something, so it sat in my mending/alteration pile for aaaaages. I recently just pulled it out and tried it on to remind myself why I didn't like it, and lo and behold, I now love it! Haha. Silly old brain <3

(Special shoutout to Sam (of Sam Doesn't Know Things), for his unwavering photographic skills, despite all of today's challenges. Especially the damn artificial lighting. In the countryside.) 

SPLOOSH TUESDAY (Issue I)

As a child of the technology generation I spend an awful lot of time on the internet. Heck, I even browse while I poop. As I'm sure you're aware, there is A LOT of awesome stuff happening out there. For all of it's downfalls, I am so grateful that I was born in a time where I have so much information and inspiration constantly at my fingertips.

A lot of the blogs I follow compile a weekly list of things that they love, and I think that's really cool cos it serves as a way of cataloguing online exposure/exploration, and it's also pretty indicative of how our brains work. They all have snazzy alliteration names, like “Things I Love Thursday”, or “Friday Favourites”. I'm not really cool like that, so mine is just going to be called SPLOOSH TUESDAY. Cos I'm classy.

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This is James Aitken – he is Australia's FIRST "plus-size" male model. Like, legit; he's signed with BGM. Don't believe me? His portfolio is HERE.

Now although he's a long way from fat or even big (with a 110cm waist), there definitely is a far cry between James, and a model like this:

YSL 2013 collection, Paris.

After all the banging on that happens about body positivity in the female arena, men are totally overlooked and it's easy to forget that they cop it, too. So, my feeling is that James Aitken is a step in the right direction. A small step, but a step nontheless. Viva La Revolution!

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For anyone who knows me, you'll know that I LOVE Japanese culture. Nearly everything about it, including (especially!) their whacky and eccentric approach to fashion. I first went to Tokyo when I was 11, and my innocent young eyes were perverted in the very best way when we set foot in Harajuku. I don't necessarily have a Japanese-inspired look, but I own a lot of small kawaii pieces that I like to mix in as part of my style.

As such, I'm SUPER EXCITED to discover that there's a new shop opening in Shibuya, called “Punyus”, and they stock straight AND plus-size sizes! And better yet, theit catalogues feature small and big girls modelling the EXACT. SAME. OUTFIT. And best yet, they will have an ONLINE STORE! Get outta town! Word on the grapevine is you'll have to organise a third party for shipping, but hey that's totally doable. Then again, with the prices Jetstar have on direct flights from Australia to Japan at the moment, I may just have to GO!




This is just downright exciting, but it's also really awesome for the girls of Japan - we think we have discrimination in the Western World, but in Japanese culture, even just being a *little* bit fat is a massive no-no. Take a look at this photo below: the percentage rating system is based on how fat the girl is:


While Japan is very slowly starting to come around, the Japenese cyber community has produced a good-humoured name for us fatties: Marshmallow Girls. I LOVE IT.

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Although this doesn't make me *sploosh *, I was really saddened by the passing of Mickey Rooney yesterday. I don't think he was an amazing person, but he had some really great on-screen characters that are very dear to my heart. Anyway, I bet now he's drinking sodas with Judy. RIP Mickey. xx

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OH MY GAWD, Game of Thrones was back last night. OH MY GAWD. Anybody else creamin' for this season? If you feel me, here's a cat singing the intro song.

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If you're as obsessed with Tess Munster as I am (I'm not sure that's possible), you will know about her effyourbeautystandards hashtag. If you're not, you should be, because it's an amazing movement and now has nearly 200,000 posts on Insta.

Well, these t-shirts go on sale in about a week, and i'm SO EXCITED to get me one. Both to have and to wear (to love and to hold), and so that I can support this amazing woman and all she stands for.

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On a similar topic, Elizabeth from Your Life in Design has just launched a new range over at Candy Strike – the TEENAGE JEZEBEL collection!!!

Which is reference to the John Water's film CRY BABY!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I am seriously FROTHING to get me some of these amazing pieces. I NEED the Beat it Creep t-shirt, and I just WISH Tracy's Roach Dress came in any colour other than pink, but hey, maybe I can make an exception.

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THIS list, by the one and only Lexi DeRock, from Volptuous Vintage Vixen:

This is a hilarious, heart-warming and all-round good advice list. Definitely check it out, and let Lexi know which is your favourite! You'll see my favourite 2 in the comments on her page :)

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Lastly but not leastly, the work of my friend Isabel Peppard – stop motion animator, director, SPFX artist, everything good and fun. Izzy is such an amazingly beautiful person, inside AND out, and her talent is incomparable. I recently had the privilige of (finally) getting to see her stop motion animation short “Butterflies”, and it made me cry. It's not available online at the moment, but I think it will be on the SBS sometime soon, so i'll mention when it happens.

Until then, here is the WEBSITE, and the trailer, which gives you a taste of the beauty, style and story.

Izzy's currently working on her first feature length film, and I am SO STOKED for her, that she has this amazing opportunity, and for us, that we will get to experience it once it is finished.

Curvy Couture Roadshow!!

It's been a whole week since the Curvy Couture Roadshow. I'm still buzzing, and it's definitely not just the ridiculous amount of coffee i've consumed this week. Sorry it's taken me so long to post about it, I really hope I can find the words to express how amazing last Sunday was.

First of all – the feeling of comradery! <3 I felt like I was personal friends with every person in that place. I know that's kind of silly to be like “hey you're fat, I'm fat, we're friends!” I know that there is so much more to me than being a plus size woman, but it has taken me so damn long to be ok with my body. It has been such an incredibly hard slog, and it's a slog you can be sure just about every other woman in that room has felt, or is feeling. There was definitely something in the air, because I felt so damn empowered and inspired by all of the amazing, beautiful and talented women in that room.

Seondly, my outfit. I felt like a babe, but more importantly, I felt like I was ALLOWED to feel like a babe. And that is such a novelty. I was so honoured to have so many compliments and photos with other women, it blew my mind to feel the love.

Photo courtesy of Danimezza

I have to give a huge shoutout to the wonderful ebay seller SWEET AS CANDY VINTAGE – not only was her flower crown the total showstopper of my outfit, but I ordered it on Wednesday late afternoon, and had it Friday morning before 8am. It's my first flower crown, and I love it. The colours are so unique, and the quality is great.

We had us some brunch, and then wandered over to the show - via a church.

This dress is thrifted - a vintage Aussie label called "ARC" from Sydney.

I really just can't resist pulling ridiculous faces.
Also, the sun was ow in the eyes.

Sometimes I can KINDA keep a straight face. 

"Look ma, I did my makeup reeeeal purdy"

Lipstick: Poisonberry by LIME CRIME <3

The aforementioned flower crown, from Sweet As Candy Vintage.

Get yourself one!

I was truly so excited to see a runway. It was the first I've ever seen in real life, and I was all like “where is Tim Gunn?!”. Sadly, I was on the wrong continent. But I did have myself a beautiful man-bag, gaydate; the one, the only, Samopust. 

Cute li'l f*cker!

Now, the clothes. I really enjoyed all the shows. There was definitely a minimum of at least one piece per collection that I thought I would wear. But overall, most were a bit too mainstream and/or “fashiony” for me. I'm not complaining, I kind of expected this to be the case. I didn't really mind, but I wasn't crazy-lusting over anything. With the exception of a couple of pieces (see below for my average, b-grade shots, taken from the second row). 

My FAVOURITE show of the day was definitely: Bombshell Vintage – her vintage reproduction range “Atomic Bombshell” is TO DIE FOR, and can be customised for perfect fit. She also have a collection of actual vintage pieces in plus sizes. I'm certainly going to be saving my pennies so I can treat myself to a piece, soon!!

I don't particularly like houndstooth, but the CUT of this jacket! 

Excelsior!

And it's available in other fabrics!!

Total showstopping number, on a complete babe.

My other favourite collection was from Misty Belvidere, but mostly for her AMAZING Mermadian Dress. Like, wow, holy shit this is a dream dress. Miss Kate (the designer) was also such a babe, and lovely to talk to. She had on the mermaid skirt (made from the same sequinned material as the dress), and was very proud to show me when she ran her hand the opposite way over the sequins, they flip over to revel a black side. They look like scales!!!! I am devastated that this is a poor time of the year for me, or i'd be SNAPPING up one of those numbers. She warned me there is very limited fabric, so i'm quite sure i'll miss out. * cries *

Mermaid Dress!!

The one collection that really did NOT appeal to me was the Embody Denim range. Yes, it's true, i'm not really a denim person. But I wanted to have my mind changed. I was prepared to have my mind changed! And although there was a pair of jeans I thought looked quite nice, it was very easy to quickly dismiss them as something that wouldn't look good on me, because they were on a thin model! They were ALL thin models in the show.

Now don't get me wrong, this is NOT a body-bashing comment. Those girls were gorgeous, and probably considered “plus size” in a commercial model setting. But this day was not about Tyra Banks' version of “fiercely real”, it was about actual fat babes. And for the most part, it was. But when the Embody Denim girls came on stage, the lady who was sitting next to me (who was NOT Sam, and who WAS a complete stranger) gave me a look, which I returned. We both agreed we had no interest in that collection because we had NO idea how the pieces might look on our bodies. And from the look on the faces of a lot of the crowd – they were feeling the same way too.

Speaking of models, DAMN there were some amazing girls up there, strutting their stuff. The standouts for me were Charity Saint James, Caitlyn and unknown, cute, redheaded girl (EDIT: the case is cracked! The redhead is Suzanne Stevens!). They were so fierce, and powerful, and sassy, and just all over gorgeous. I got chills from those 3. It looked like so much fun, and so empowering. If they have an open casting next year, i'd definitely like to try my luck.

Charity Saint James

Suzanne Stevens. So adorbs.

Caitlyn gets TWO photos because:

A) she is a babe

B) she is a lovely and supportive Instagram friend

C)LOOK AT DIS POWERSTANCE:

I also met a few of the Aussie Curves ladies, which was awesome, and I made friends with the EXCEPTIONALLY beautiful and friendly ladies over at Silvana Tedesco (wedding dress couture); Silvana herself, and her stylist friend Erika (The Queen of Curves). They were both SO lovely, I was so honoured to chat with them and swap details. I also met Gemma Flack, and squeed! I think I was a bit creepy: told her I was obsessed with her. I meant “HER ART”, but it didn't really come out right. I'm pretty stoked to have not one but TWO tote bags with her CCR artwork on them (Sam didn't want his – rookie).

Lastly, I'll leave you with this funny anecdote: when Sam and I were standing in line to get in, we saw a very fancy shmancy chick pull up in a town car, and be escorted straight into the building by a man. Sam and I joked that he was her bodyguard, and mused that she must be a designer. Later on, we found ourselves standing in line behind them. The lady turned around and complimented me on my style. She introduced herself as 'Hayley' and asked if she could take a photo of my shoes so she could get a pair. I asked her if she was a designer, and she politely said no, but there was something VERY majestic about her. She HAD to be a somebody. Sam and I both stood there, discreetly squinting at her flipped over nametag, to reveal her name was Hayley Hasselhoff! We quickly googled her to discover that she was, in fact, THE HOFF'S DAUGHTER! Sadly, she was not the one who filmed “the video”.

LET'S STAY IN TOUCH!
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